Managing fewer than 50 PCs? Microsoft partner offers power management freeware

I'm actually surprised that more Microsoft-focused IT services firms haven't jumped on the power management platform. But one reason is probably that many of their customers tend to be on the smaller side. NetWrix, a Microsoft Gold Certified partner in Paramus, New Jersey, has sidestepped this issue by creating two versions of its software: a commercial edition and a freeware version focused on environments with fewer than 50 systems under management.

The new NetWrix Workstation Power Saving Manager is a pretty simple utility: it automatically puts specified computers into a power-savings mode during off hours and then wakes them up again automatically at a designated time -- or when you need to use it. Doing this sort of thing can easily cut electricity costs by 30 percent, according to the company. (An average PC uses about $100 in electricity annually, according to the company's calculations.)

You can find the freeware version here. Pricing for the commercial edition starts around $5 per PC (for 150 systems) but adjusts for volume discounts.